New York State has recently awarded more than $225 million to 165 projects around the state to improve water quality, including numerous projects in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier, and the North Country, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday, Dec. 23.
The grants — through the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Improvement Project and the Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Mapping Grant — support projects that protect drinking water, update aging infrastructure, reduce contributors to algal blooms, and improve aquatic habitats.
The City of Rome will receive $1 million to stabilize and repair Boyd Dam, including concrete work and improvements to the earthen dike.
The Town of Stark will use its $500,000 grant to construct a new salt-storage building to cover the currently exposed salt pile and protect the Otsquago Creek and Mohawk River watershed.
The Town of Oneonta will receive $337,600 to replace two culverts on Oneonta Creek to increase flow capacity and promote flood resilience.
The Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District will complete a shoreline stabilization project to protect 3,000 feet of shoreline in the towns of Springport and Aurelis to reduce erosion and nutrient loading to Cayuga Lake with its $400,000 grant.
Chemung County will receive $10 million to complete upgrades as part of the Chemung County Sewer District Consolidation project, which includes decommissioning the Lake Street wastewater treatment plant and conveying flows to the plant on Milton Street. The project will reduce the amount of nutrients entering the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay watershed.
With its $75,000 grant, the Village of Waverly will perform a comprehensive stream corridor assessment of Dry Brook after eroding streambanks and retaining walls put homes and public infrastructure at risk.
The full list of grant recipients is available on the state’s following web page.